Right on Target
by Shining Friendship
Summary: Missing scene from PC - Susan tries to teach Caspian how to use a crossbow, but the only "target" he wants to concentrate on is her.


**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Everything belongs to C.S. Lewis, Disney and Walden Media.**

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**Author note****: I originally started writing this as part of the sixth chapter to my Suspian story "Changing Destiny," but when I realized that it didn't really fit into the storyline I decided to make it a one-shot instead. This is basically my version of the deleted "crossbow lesson" scene that Caspian and Susan have together in the movie—at least until it comes out on DVD in December. **

**Title: Right on Target**

**Couple: Caspian/Susan**

**Rated: PG-13**

**Summary: Susan tries to teach Caspian how to use a crossbow, but the only "target" he wants to concentrate on is her.**

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_**I'm dedicating this story to Lost in Day Dreams, mae-E, Scooby Lady, mogi93, and **__**hpswst101**__** for reviewing every (or almost every) chapter to "Changing Destiny." I love you guys! Also, Ben Barnes is turning 27 in two days, so I thought now would be a good time to post this. Happy Birthday, Ben!! **_

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Outside Aslan's How one crisp morning, Prince Caspian the Tenth gazed intently at Susan Pevensie along the sidelines with the rest of her students as the legendary Queen of Old was about demonstrate how to shoot properly. Taking her fighting stance, she looked sharply at the small black dot in the middle of the target that stood at least hundred yards away from them, took her aim and released the red-feathered arrow from her trusted bow. The Telmarine prince watched the arrow fly and it hit the center dead-on. Susan smiled while the dwarfs and centaurs congratulated their queen for her perfect bullseye shot as Caspian still stared at her awe-struck from the Gentle Queen's impressive skills. When she noticed this out of the corner of her eye, it gave her an idea.

"Want to give it a try, Caspian?"

The handsome prince immediately began to feel very self-conscious and reluctant in front of her, especially with the black crossbow clutched in his hands. "Forgive me, your Majesty, but I've had no real experience using bows and arrows. I wouldn't want to imp—"

"No, it's all right," she encouraged, inadvertently teasing him with a smile that nearly made him weak in the knees right then. "I'll teach you. Just show me what you can do and we'll go from there."

Unable to oppose the request of his beautiful queen, Caspian stepped forward as the others all got back again to stay out of his way and watch. Susan stood _right_ behind him, causing his pulse quicken more than he originally assumed it would as he took his stance, yet was still hoping to impress her like she did with him. He took his aim, eyes narrowing on the target ahead, and was ready to shoot when she came up next to him and lowered the crossbow slightly with her fingertips. His dark eyes shyly glanced upon the Gentle Queen, but just as quickly looked away, cursing himself for his improper behavior towards High King Peter's younger sister.

"Here, like this. Don't raise the bow up so high. You're more likely to miss the shot if you do that."

If the sound of his heartbeat wasn't pounding in Caspian's ears a minute ago, it most certainly was now. Not even in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine that he would actually stand _this_ close to the Queen of Old that not only was a valiant heroine in so many of the stories he heard from Doctor Cornelius during their secret lessons about Old Narnia, but was now stealing his heart away with her undeniable beauty and fighting spirit. The burning temptation of ignoring her instructions in his crossbow lesson and pulling her into passionate kiss like he had wanted to do since the first moment they met was driving him nearly mad. Caspian tried to shrug off his adolescent fantasies, yet the longer Susan stood next to him, the harder it became to do anything _but_ fantasize about her. Lion's Mane, she was so close he could almost caress her pearly, pale white skin and see how soft it felt…underneath his skin. She was so close he could almost feel the warmth of her breath against his skin, ticking the base of his neck…as he kissed her senselessly. She was so close he could almost hear the honeysweet sound of her angelic voice pleasurably moaning…his name.

"Try to stay as relaxed as possible." Susan let go of the crossbow, but to his delight, she still remained by his side. "Tensing up and getting nervous can also make you miss."

Caspian had known the Pevensie children for a couple of days, spent only a few hours together with them at most, so what was it about this girl that made stop dead in his tracks everytime he saw her nearby? What was about Susan that made her so different from anyone he had ever met before? Was it because her skin was so fair, so soft and supple he could've sworn that she was a goddess masquerading as a Narnian queen? Was it the striking color of her eyes, which looked like the calm ocean before a storm? Or was it her chestnut brown hair that shined in the warm sunlight? Could it have been the way she smiled, so playful and coy when he watched her full, rosy lips curl? True, she wasn't the most slender girl in the world, but he could've cared less about that little insufficient detail. Her physical features were breathtaking to him all the same — probably the first thing that attracted him to her, but he could see there was more to this girl than met the eye.

_Much more_….

"Remember to always trust in your bow," she continued to speaking kindly, her cerulean blue eyes focused on the small target in the grassy landscape ahead of them. "As long as you do, it won't fail you."

Underneath the surface of her pretty face, the Gentle Queen had much deeper, more consequential qualities that brought out her inner beauty and lively spirit. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind and would protect her loved ones against any enemy who tried to put them in harm's way without a second thought. She was the voice of reason for all key decisions, the sensible one in her family. _Independent, audacious, headstrong_: those were only a few of the things that he admired most about her. _Skillful with the bow, not afraid to be outnumbered in a dangerous situation, willing to fight the odds no matter how many were stacked against her_: that was what made her such a courageous warrior in the heat of war on a battlefield. _Tender, graceful, bright_: traits you'd expect from a Queen of Old Narnia, but Susan exemplified those words on a whole new level with her sharp intellect and sense of self-worth to her royal crown. _Family, friends, allies_: these were the people she trusted most and looked towards for guidance whenever Susan needed strength. _Determined, rational, witty_: mannerisms that she never faltered away from. _Faith, love, respect_: the three strongest virtues she valued most. Yes, there was much more to this sixteen-year-old girl from the "city of War Drobe in the land of Spare Oom," and perhaps all of those reasons combined were what made him so drawn to her.

"Focus on your target…" she whispered softly. "…and think of nothing else."

Caspian's chocolate orbs soon traveled away from the object he was supposed to be concentrating on for the lesson and lingered back onto the "object" of his affections once again, no longer apprehensive over whether or not it was inappropriate for him to be thinking about the High King's sister in that way. He was but a man after all, wasn't he? And doesn't every man have his weakness, a forbidden desire so ostentatious that he'd be willing to do absolutely anything in order to attain it? Utterly entranced, the Telmarine prince couldn't tear his eyes away from the queen of his dreams, knowing that he could've stared at nothing but her for the rest of his life and died a very happy man. Queen Susan the Gentle was truly the most stunning of all the Narnian queens, and like so many young men before him…he was hopelessly drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

"But most importantly, believe in yourself…" Susan touched his shoulder a second, snapping him back to reality and she stepped away to give him space. "Whenever you're ready, take your shot."

_This was his moment. _

After regaining his posture, he took a deep breath in and exhaled out slowly, feeling all eyes on him…the only ones that mattered were _hers_. Caspian bent his knees slightly this time, took his aim once more with an unwavering gaze narrowed straight at the three-ring target a hundred yards away. He pulled the trigger, releasing the arrow from his crossbow and it flew through the air. _One second. _His eyes blinked for what seemed like the first time in years... _Two seconds_. His hands tightly gripped the bow as he brought it against his chest… _Three seconds_. His heart skipped a beat when the black arrow finally made its landing. The arrow landed just to the left of the Gentle Queen's red-feathered one, less than a centimeter from splitting hers in half. _**A perfect hit**_. He couldn't have asked Aslan himself for a better shot. Caspian turned his head to take a glimpse at Susan's reaction and their eyes locked — something that hadn't happened between them since the day they met in the Shuddering Woods. The Telmarine prince felt a small smile tug at his lips, but making a sincere effort not to blush in front of her at the same time.

_Breathe… Just breathe…_

She grinned at him — seeing right through his façade — for his impressive accomplishment. And just like before, their stolen moment was short-lived when all of the archers came rushing up to Caspian, padding him on the back and shaking his hand vigorously to congratulate him.

Susan slowly walked backwards to "escape" the crowd when out of nowhere she felt something or someone brushing up against her side. The Gentle Queen looked over her right shoulder and saw Trumpkin holding his black longbow with a cynical expression on his face.

"What did I miss? Did Miraz croak and the Telmarines finally decided to surrender?"

"No," she giggled in amusement. "Caspian just made an excellent shot with his crossbow and everyone's congratulating him for it. Is that a crime?"

"More like beginner's luck," the red dwarf snorted. "How much you want to bet that pretty boy has never even touched a bow once in his life before today?"

"Caspian told me that he hadn't had a lot of experience using bows and arrows in the past, so I gave him a few tips and it looks like my advice worked."

"Oh, it worked alright," Trumpkin replied with sarcasm and an eye roll.

Perplexed from his comment, Susan's eyebrows furrowed as she stared down at her DLF. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Didn't you _see _the way he was looking at you?" Her cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment, unable to make a response to the question. "Beards and breadsticks, you could've spotted it from a _mile _away! The prince barely took his eyes off of you practically the whole time you were speaking to him, your Majesty. It doesn't take a genius to see that Caspian was a lot more interested in watching _you_ than actually learning how to use a crossbow. Why else would he be out here instead of training with High King Peter and Glenstorm for battle?"

The Gentle Queen shook her head, flabbergasted that she was having _this_ kind of conversation – and of all people – with Trumpkin. "I'm grateful for your concern, but I can assure you Caspian doesn't think of me _that_ sort of way. We've only known each other for a few days. And besides, I'm 1300 years older than him in this age of Narnia. It would never work out between us anyway."

"Well if you're asking me, I really don't think he seems bothered by your "age differences," my Queen."

"Even if that were true, Caspian and I are just allies. Perhaps we'll become good friends in time, but nothing more."

"If you say so…" the red dwarf said in just above a whisper and walked off to go train the archers for the next hour.

Susan quickly decided to brush off Trumpkin's last comments and turned around to walk back into Aslan's How to help prepare lunch with Lucy; however she didn't walk more than 10 feet before feeling a hand touch her left shoulder. The Gentle Queen jumped slightly and spun around, gasping when she found herself in the arms of Caspian. Both still had their bows clutched in their right hands, yet his left hand gently wrapped around her waist while Susan's clung to his forearm. They stood so close together now that her heaving chest was pressing up against the prince's well-built body, suddenly making his mouth dry and palms sweaty. Caspian was at a loss of words – almost forgetting how to even breathe – from standing next to or rather _holding_ Susan in this particular position. And short of probably never having another intimate moment with her again, he knew this one would be lingering in his daydreams for quite awhile.

"I'm sorry..." she apologized, stepping away from him.

"No, it was my fault, your Majesty," he replied wistfully, already missing the warmth of her body. "I did not mean to startle you like that."

"It's all right. Just warn me next time."

Caspian gave her a faint smile. "Yes, of course, my Queen, but I promise it won't happen again."

"Susan."

"What?"

"You can call me Susan. There's no need for formalities, Caspian. We're fighting on the same side and you're going to be the King of Narnia someday."

"As long as Miraz doesn't have his way," the prince said with the slightest hint of anger in his tone.

"He won't," she responded firmly. "My brothers and I will see that he doesn't."

Without thinking, he grabbed the Gentle Queen's free hand, raised it up to his lips and softly kissed the top of her knuckles. "Thank you…Susan."

The sweet sound of her name – it was the most beautiful word Caspian had ever heard.

She was about to say something when someone else suddenly yelled, "Susan!"

He quickly let go of her hand and looked over to see Lucy coming out of the How. The Queen of Old turned around to face her little sister properly. "I thought you were going to help me make lunch for the boys after you were done with the archers, Su."

"Sorry, Lu. I was just on my way in. Go get started and I'll be right there, I promise."

"All right," she replied and then walked back inside.

When she was no longer in sight, Caspian came up from behind and said apologetically, "Forgive me, I didn't mean to hold you and your sister up."

"It's okay. You didn't know." Susan rubbed his sleeved arm for a brief moment to show that no harm was done. "But I should really get in there because Lucy still makes me nervous whenever she tries cutting anything with a sharp knife."

"How old is she again?"

"Lucy just turned eleven last month, and I can hardly _wait _until she's sixteen – for the second time."

"A handful, was she?"

"Active. Lucy has always been very active."

"Would you care for some help then?"

"No, I think I can manage, but if you don't mind, will you go find my brothers and tell them that lunch will be ready soon?"

Caspian smiled sweetly. "_Anything for you, my Queen._"

Susan nearly blushed again. Quickly snapping out of her adolescent-driven hormones, the Gentle Queen couldn't believe she was acting like a silly schoolgirl flirting with the cutest boy in her class. Why was she acting this way? Caspian was a prince, just a boy compared to the mature woman she had grown into from her first experience in Narnia. True, he was tall, dark and handsome – the perfect description of any royal prince – but that was just it. Susan had either ignored or talked down to kings and princes from left to right who sought out to court her during her fifteen year reign at Cair Paravel, so why didn't she walk away from Caspian without a second glance like all the others? What was so different about him? Was it the fact that he was willing to rebel against his own people to restore peace for the Narnians? Or was it because he was the one who blew her horn which allowed Susan and her siblings to return after being away from their home for so long? The only thing she _did _know was that Caspian wasn't like any other boy she had ever met. Unwittingly, something had caught her eye about him that first day they met in the woods and since then they've kept "bumping" into each other like some greater force beyond their control wanted them to connect. But that wasn't possible…_was it_?

"Thank you. I really appreciate your help." The Gentle Queen was about to leave when she suddenly remembered that she hadn't congratulated him for his "lucky" shot yet. "Oh, and good job using the crossbow. I was very impressed."

"You were?"

_Had his plan worked after all?_

"Yes, I was," Susan nodded with her playful smile before walking away. "You were right on target."

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**Was it any good? Should I write another Suspian one-shot? **_**Please review**_**!!**


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